I laid out my last blow. “I'm sure she'd be happy to be with you now. Internet says she's single. All she cared about was money and now you've got it. You two deserve each other.”
And with that I turned on my heel and opened the door to go back inside.
“Izzy...” He said my name like a plea. I looked back at him. His blue eyes were shining with tears and hurt. He held his hands out in front of him like he was asking for forgiveness. I had none to give.
“I don't think this is going to work out, Noah.” That was the understatement of the year. “You need to leave. Please don't try and see me again.”
I stepped inside the safety of the house and closed the door. I couldn't believe I had actually said those things out loud. I had wanted to hurt him like he had hurt me. Brooke took me into a hug as soon as I cleared the kitchen.
“Izzy! Please!” Noah called out, banging on the door. At least he had enough sense not to open it. Devon and Lucas were on their feet and at the door in a heartbeat with murderous expressions on their faces.
“She asked you to leave,” Devon growled through the door. Lucas crossed his arms and glared daggers behind him. Together they looked scary as hell and completely blocked the door.
“Izzy...” Noah's voice cracked. I turned my head away from him and into Brooke's shoulder. She tightened her arms protectively around me.
“We're not going to ask you again,” Lucas stated. He sounded deeper and bigger than usual. And definitely not happy. The porch creaked as Noah took a step away from the door.
“I didn't mean to hurt her. I do love her,” he pleaded with the boys. I was glad I couldn't see his face.
Devon snorted. “You've got a funny way of showing it. The Grove was her life. And you're going to tear it down to make money you don't even need. You're a billionaire. An extra couple million isn't going to do anything for you. You don't need the Grove like she does, but you're more than willing to put your bank account ahead of her. So, I'm gonna go ahead and say that you don't really love her. That's not what love is.”
“Yeah,” chimed in Lucas.
I could have kissed Devon. And even Lucas for standing up for me. They loved me, in their own unique ways, and I loved them right back. They really were my older brothers.
I could hear Noah reply, but his words were lost to me. I didn't care what he said anyway. Devon was right. A new hotel on the island would only make him richer, and if his Wikipedia page was correct, he wasn't exactly hurting in the money department. The funds he had spent purchasing the land, and even the figures he would eventually make on the investment, was barely a drop in the bucket for him. The island was too remote to ever be more than a luxury destination. This hotel was all about prestige.
And he wanted that prestige more than he wanted me.
“You okay?” Brooke asked. I realized I was shaking.
“Yeah.” I wiped at my eyes and smiled weakly as Devon and Lucas entered the room. “Thank you, guys.”
Devon scooped me up in a big bear hug, squeezing me to within an inch of my life. “You deserve better,” he whispered as he let me go.
“Hey, you want to get a drink?” Lucas offered, raising his eyebrows. “My treat?”
I smiled at him. Lucas had to be seriously worried about me if he was willing to buy. It was sweet. “Thank you, but no. I just want to go lie down for a little bit.”
“Okay, then.” Brooke nodded and put her hand on my shoulder. She gave it a gentle squeeze. “If you need anything, you know where to find us.”
I nodded and put on my best fake smile. It was pathetic and they all knew it, but they let me go. As I opened the door to my room, I looked back to see Lucas take Brooke's hand in his. I hoped they’d have better luck than I did. At least they knew what the other person did for a living.
The room was mercifully dark. I crawled under the sheet and closed my eyes, waiting for the sweet relief of sleep to come take me.
Chapter 22
I kicked at the covers until I freed my feet from their tortuous grip. My bed was a disaster area; I had tossed and turned all night with nightmares. Dreams of the destruction of the Grove. Dreams of Noah. Dreams of what could have been. The early morning sun was starting to peek through the blinds, and I was relieved to see morning and be free of my subconscious mind's twisted wanderings.
Brooke mumbled something into her pillow. She was spread eagle across her bed and still fast asleep. I gave serious thought to just staying in bed all day and moping, but the longer I lay in bed, the more I needed to get up and stop thinking. And at this point in time, thinking was bad. Thinking reminded me that not only had I lost the Grove, I had lost Noah as well. Just thinking his name made my chest tighten and the tears start to well up in my eyes. I still couldn't believe he was willing to give me up that easily.
I sat on the edge of my bed and ran my fingers through my hair, trying to figure out what to do next. The shark tooth necklace lay neatly on my nightstand. I had considered throwing it away, but I couldn't bring myself to part with it. Instead, it rested in a perfect circle on my nightstand. I swallowed down a lump in my throat the size of a cruise liner, quickly looking away and pulling harder at my hair.
I needed something that would keep me busy. Tagging sharks with Brooke? I looked over at her snoring into her pillow and knew she wouldn't be up for at least a couple more hours. Besides, she was still inputting the data from our last outing. Who else? Lucas and Devon would be busy working on their grants, and Doc would be helping them. I knew they would do something with me if I asked, but I didn't want to be a bother. I was on my own today.
With a sigh, I stood up and grabbed my brush. My hair was just too tangled to un-knot it with my fingers. I frowned at nothing in particular as I worked the brush. I wanted to go outside. Sunshine always made me feel better. With that idea planted firmly in my head, I put on my one-piece swimsuit, a pair of board shorts, and a light t-shirt. I grabbed my swim bag with snorkel gear, sunscreen, towels, and various other items and went to the kitchen.
Brooke had made me deviled eggs, bless her wonderful soul. I popped one in my mouth and tried to send her a telepathic 'thank you.' She knew the way to mend my broken heart: food. I carried the plastic container holding the rest of the eggs with me out the door so I could continue to snack on them. I didn't have a clear plan as to what I was going to do next; I just knew I needed to get out of the house.
The smaller boat bobbed gently at the end of the dock, drawing my attention. The boys would be busy with their grant work today, so I could take the boat out. I could stay close to shore, but no one would bother me out on the ocean. I could be free. Saltwater and wind sounded like the perfect salve for my soul. My feet were down the dock before my brain even registered that was what I was deciding to do.